The Expat Life

Someone asked me what I do all day.

It's a good question. Most of the expat women I know don't have jobs. We are "following spouses" who gave up our (real or potential) careers to follow our hubs to foreign lands. Those of us without kids, well, it's assumed we live pretty cushy lives. (Shh. That may be true.)

Sure, there are women whose days consist entirely of massages, manicures, personal chefs and nutritionists to care for the belly, personal trainers to care for the body, regular appointments for the latest cosmetic procedure (invasive or not) and for whom "shopping" is a verb on the same category as "furiously crunching numbers for a report due tomorrow."

I don't really know what that's like as a lifestyle, but I imagine it gets rather boring. I see lots of bored faces behind those designer sunglasses on the street...

Things are "harder" here, it's true. A trip to the bank can easily turn into a 3 hour affair. I try to never have more than one meeting per day, one bus ride, etc... I had 2 medical appointments on Wednesday and I was gone from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm because of travel times, waiting, etc. I couldn't have squeezed anything else into that time except reading and scribbling in notebooks. Which I did. Also, because I don't have a car or personal driver, I spend ridiculous amounts of time at the grocery store. In Brazil, everything is fresh. You can't buy green bananas and expect them to ripen in 2 weeks. They'll be ready tomorrow. Maybe even before bedtime the day you buy them! So grocery shopping happens with more frequency, and is done on foot. As a result, I plan little maps of how I'll run my errands, based on the shortest possible distance between two points with the grocery store always last. Because you can't do anything when carrying 15 kilos + of fruit and eggs and your fingers might fall off before you make it to your apartment gate.

My day starts, usually, by banging my head on the sharp corner of a poorly placed cupboard every time I wash dishes. I wash dishes so that I can feel good about procrastinating. I love writing, I do. But I seem to find a zillion and one ways to do everything related to writing except the actual "putting words down on paper/typing" part. So I wash dishes, make breakfast, wash dishes, read the news, blog, have second breakfast, answer emails, edit articles...and eventually get down to the serious business of writing. If my hands feel up to it, I make jewelry or practice calligraphy, which I'm just learning. Lunch dates a couple times a week, afternoon tea with my neighbor and girls' night out supply me with social activities; I'm thinking about signing up for a course on Gemology and am trying to learn Italian. And even though I am one block from the beach, I am ashamed to say I can't remember the last time I went to hang out on the sand...it seems like there's never time...

What do I do all day? I'm not always sure, but it definitely keeps me busy!

Fiesta das 30: The food

We had a very belated birthday party to celebrate my 30th, effectively turning the entire month of March into one long festa. You'll hear no complaining from me! It was a small party, with just a few friends, as the house doesn't really have space for a grand event. Maybe someday we'll get an apartment with a patio and we can go all out...

As I am no food photographer, please pardon the not-so-slick photos. Here's a breakdown of the menu:

Watermelon-Tomato-Basil Soup Shooters



Cucumber and Potato Cups with Peruvian Huancaína Sauce and Herbed Yogurt-Cream Cheese Dip as fillings



Crackers* and Pita Crisps**
Mexican Chicken Meatballs
Chimichurri Meatballs
Shrimp Cebiche, Mango Salsa and Bloody Mary Tomatoes



Marinated Spicy Olives*
Nutty Caramel Corn

Surprise Peppermint Meringues

Caipirinha Cake and Cupcakes



* Purchased
** Semi-homemade

I planned it so that almost everything could be eaten with a toothpick, chips or hands. Though I did provide forks, which came in handy for cebiche and cake, they weren't an absolute necessity. I discovered that at least several of my guests were, like me, not fans of raw tomatoes, so I have an abundance of Bloody Mary Tomatoes to turn into sauce tomorrow. Note to self for future parties. On the other hand, the salsa and cebiche were a hit, and there aren't even enough meatballs left to give us a respectable lunch! The caramel corn, a recipe passed down from my mother, never fails to impress a crowd, and it's super, super easy. As is the yogurt dip, which is so easy I feel bad telling people it's homemade. Personally, I was thrilled with the pita crisps, which will be a regular snack food in the house. I miss crunchy things, and don't care much for Brazilian options...and these nicely fill the void left by the absence of tortilla chips, but avoid corn, to which my arthritis is ever-so-slightly-allergic. I'll also be having the watermelon soup for lunch today. I loved the fresh flavor! If I were to do my potato appetizer over again, I'd use less pepper sauce, as it was seriously spicy, and I'd cut the potatoes into cubes, which would have been easier to eat than the hollowed out cups I served. Though the meringues were forgotten in the middle of all the other goodness, I have to pat myself on the back and point out that two separate people were surprised to discover they were homemade. My husband stared at me and gave the phenomenal "You never cease to amaze me!" compliment. Swoon.

You can do this at home, too.

It is not that hard or time consuming. Well, most of it isn't!

Leave me a comment if you end up making something. I'd love to know how they turn out for you!

More posts to come with papel picado tutorials, wine glass marker tutorials and etc...

Oh, Indiana!

Great things I've stumbled upon this week:

Indiana official really understands how email is anonymous.

Hate foreigners? Ban them from your town.

Who is my most favoritest pink-haired, traveling author? Read her blog here. Dreamy.

Coming up...photos and tutorials for fun party things utilized at the fête for my 30th!

Fake Taxidermy

So I am in love with these papier maché animal busts and want to make one. Not buy one, though I suppose that would be simpler. But I'm a DIYer at heart and love customizing. Why buy something that's only 70% what you want when you can make it yourself and get exactly what you were going for in the first place? (Unfortunately, I still need to learn little skills like patience and precision for the latter to happen on a regular basis!)

The rhino above costs $68 at Anthropologie, arguably my favorite inspiration store ever. We received a gift certificate for a wedding present and if these had been on the website, I might have had a hard time deciding between this and the bowls and table runner I ended up with (for the same price).*

What I love about these is the juxtaposition of printed material with the familiar patterns and shape of the animals. It appeals to the bookish vintage junkie in me. But I'd love it even more if I could choose the text. So I found this tutorial, of sorts, as well as a basic site on papier maché.

I'm thinking that the form can be made with coat hanger and floral wire. A mesh would be best for the base, and I'm pondering plastic "entretela" as a support for the paper strips. It's sort of like large-holed cheesecloth. I'm not sure I can tackle this project in Brazil, because it might never dry. But who knows? If anyone out there ends up making one, do tell me how it turns out!

* The mini latte bowls have gotten so much use at our house. I use them as prep bowls, serving dishes for nuts and dried fruit, portion-controlled desserts and so much more. Who would have thought something so small would be so utilitarian?

What I've been up to in the absence of blog posts

I've been a little lax in my blogging, but there are very good reasons for that. (See below.) I will be back on a more "regular" schedule now that Carnaval is over. This is the Carioca's greatest excuse. "Can't do that...Carnaval is coming..." or
"I'm so swamped. Carnaval is right around the corner..." It's true that little gets done in the city until after the big party. Unfortunately for us this year, Carnaval didn't happen until MARCH. A quarter of the year gone already and nothing to show for it! Now I'm trying to get back on track with my resolutions and goals for the year, and I'm having a pretty good go at it, if I do say so myself. Here are some of the things on (or checked off of) my to-do list for the week:


1) Planning my (late) birthday party: shopping, baking, food experiments, and papel picado, sort of like the photo above. I wish I'd kept my woodcarving tools, as they would have been ideal for making the banners...

2) Starting back with Demand Studios. It's a great way to earn a little cash from the serenity of an air-conditioned apartment.

3) Organizing. I kind of like it when my life is less chaotic! I'm taking five to ten minutes every day to focus on a project, and things are getting orderly faster than I ever dreamed possible.

4) Deciding on what fountain pen ink colors I want to use this year in correspondence. Mr. Bugigangas and I are really kind of color nerds, and we've spent an embarrassing amount of time comparing the merits of two shades...but with a new dip pen and several nibs, plain black and blue inks just aren't cutting it! Pink seems to be my "it" color this year, so I settled on these two:

Diamine Graphite, with photo from Goulet Pen's website:


Rouge Bourgogne from J. Herbin (photo from the Ink Nouveau website):


5) 4) Finding inspiration for a future home/apartment and satisfying my creative juices with a lot of OneNote tabs filled with photographs, visual prompts and DIY ideas. Here's one of my boards. Click to make it bigger:


(random selection of things from Anthropologie, Kate Spade, MOMA store and various blogs)

6) Meeting new people, making time for old friends, visiting my "grandma," working out, editing poetry, volunteer translating and playing Spider Solitaire!

Restaurant Review: Osteria Dell'Angolo

Mr. Bugigangas and I were feeling like Italian tonight. Our Italian vacation is still a few months away, and we're impatient, so it seems like every couple of weeks we're reaching for a bottle of wine and pasta to "matar as saudades." Tonight we wanted to try someplace different, and ended up settling on Osteria Dell'Angolo. I called around 6:30pm, which isn't really recommended for a same-day reservation, but because we were eating around 8:00 pm, it wasn't a problem. When we arrived, there were perhaps three other tables in the entire restaurant. When we left, around 10:15, there was a line of people waiting at the bar area downstairs and it had been packed solid for a good hour. Brazilians like to eat late, so as a general rule, we've found it makes sense to beat the rush and go between 8:00 and 8:30 to ensure good service and no frustrations with an overwhelmed kitchen.

I felt like I remembered seeing the name somewhere, and of course, I memorized the number incorrectly, so we got out of the taxi a block too soon. The Osteria sits on the corner of Prudente de Morais, which is why the name rang a bell. I've often wondered as I passed by on the bus whether it was an actual restaurant or just a front for the lax, Brazilian wing of the Mafia. From the outside, it's slightly shabby and distressed, with a sign that probably hasn't been changed in 30 years and plants growing up and blocking the windows on the second story. Inside, it feels like Italy. White cloths cover the tables and the waiters bring you a replacement for your dropped napkin on a china plate rather than soil it with their own fingers. Exposed brick arches, ceiling beams and orchids are about the only decorations. We were seated in an upstairs table next to the window "box" which was full of the greenery I'd seen from the street.

In good machismo tradition, the wine list was handed to the male at the table, and I had to ask for menus. Pardon me, but I'm not quite to the point of submission where my husband gets to choose both my wine AND my meal for me! Wine prices seemed suprisingly reasonable and I wished I'd brought my checkbook, as they were running a special: pay with cash or check and get 15% off your bill if you buy a bottle of wine. Hope the promotion is still valid when we go next time...

I had the fish in a salt crust and creamed spinach, both of which were divine. The spinach was neither a sopping mess or a gooey green ooze, as most Rio restaurants seem to serve it, but instead was perfectly chopped, drizzled with butter, cream, garlic and a bit of seasoning, so the spinachness shone through. I savored it like it was ice cream. Seriously. The fish "ao sal grosso" was so large when it came out I nearly choked on my wine and began frantically contriving how I was going to con Mr. B. into sharing it with me. A small-child-sized platter housed a fish shaped lump of salt that the waiters proceeded to crack, chop, decapitate and eventually lay out in a beautiful filet pattern on my plate. And the flavor...oh, the flavor...in the end, I ate all but three bites because I had to try dessert and there simply WASN'T ROOM.

Mr. Bugigangas had a Caprese salad and pasta, which he proclaimed "really good." I nibbled but was much too interested in my own food to care about his, selfish me.

By the time we were halfway through our meals, the second floor was teeming with diners. We were the youngest people in the place (children excluded), but the clientele exuded that mature "I know a good thing when I eat it" vibe. Definitely not the place to see and be seen, but that is a good thing, under the circumstances. We both commented on how it felt like a "real" Italian restaurant, like Roberto's, where he ate several times a week while in Rome. The kind of kitchen that dishes out soul-satisfying fare with minimal frill or fuss. I'm a foodie and yet I totally appreciate that. We'll definitely be going back!

Osteria Dell'Angolo
Paul Redfern 40, Ipanema
Telefone: 2259-3148

Funniest thing, weirdest thing.

Funny:

Man riding bicycle. Child running after him carrying VERY LARGE bicycle box, nearly dragging on the ground. Assumption: child will eventually learn to ride the bike, meanwhile, Dad will teach him how to get his heart rate up the old-fashioned way!


Weird:

Walking down the sidewalk, I saw a kid with a backpack who looked sketchy. Not sure what it is, but crime/streets/drugs always seem to put a particular stamp on people. I recognized that look but was just passing two men at an apartment building, so didn't really worry. As I walked past, I swear, one of the guys shouted "Boo." IN MY EAR. I felt his breath. Good thing I'm trained NOT to do the gringo flinch...glad I didn't give him any satisfaction if indeed he was trying to freak me out. People can be such creepers.

Post-Carnaval Blogging Resumes

Mr. Bugigangas and I were oh-so radical this Carnaval. We broke all the rules, shirked tradition and probably shocked the doormen...okay, maybe not that last one. I don't think our doormen care very much about our comings and goings. As it was, our Carnaval had very few comings and goings because we made it a sleep-cation. A staycation. A homecooked-meal-and-a-movie marathonation. There might have been a visit to a bloco or two, but the urine rivers in the streets and the dreary weather just made sitting on the couch at home a much more pleasing prospect.

I'm still kind of on the couch, but that's more from a strange stomach bug I caught the other night than from sheer laziness. Productivity is ensuing, as I dig around my financial life looking for information to give to our Brazilian tax people, type up edits for the poetry book, resume writing articles, character sketch and catch up on all the emails I've fallen behind on. So that's where I'll be today...

The Decade Jump

Turning 30 is fun. You get free live music, millions of people celebrating in the streets, wonderfully chilly weather for March and to top it off, a huge cache of loot lovingly picked out by dear hubby. And breakfast. And dishes washed. And that might make someone feel inclined to make nibbles for celebrating...like these HOMEMADE OREO COOKIES. Someone stop me. I am smitten!

On the gift list this year (i.e. presents that I had to wait for):

A tiny metal spatula which was promptly put to very good use and a citrus grater/peeler which will be used ad infinitum.

One gargantuan mortar and pestle, which was mailed from the Midwest to Rio. Don't ask what the postage was. It looks like this...

...and is almost too heavy to pick up, so I plan on using it as a table decoration when it's not in use!

A green dip pen with a variety of nibs: French ones, British ones, something called a Judge's Quill...sealing wax...calligraphy books and parchment paper.

(Do my loved ones know me or what?????)

Grazie mille, obrigada, thank you thank you thank you!

Giveaway for Continental Airlines CC Holders

Attention all Chase Continental Airlines cardholder readers! I cancelled my card a few weeks ago (don't care for the annual fee) but just received my "one year" gift packet in the mail: 2 travel discount certificates ($25-$100 off depending of round-trip flight value) and 2 President's Club passes. No identifying numbers or anything on the cards that I can tell, so they should be valid for anyone with a card in good standing. First person to leave a request in the comment section of this blog post gets them! Please make sure there's a way for me to email you for your mailing address; sometimes not everyone's profiles are linked to a valid address.

Hair Chop in Ipanema and Baby Brechó

Looking for a salon? I went to HBD for my birthday haircut, and was quite happy with...everything. The staff were super friendly and it looked like there was practically a juice bar at patron's disposal. It was clean, well lit, and I was even introduced to the owner of the salon before they took me upstairs to my stylist. I had Emilien cut my hair this time; word in the blogosphere is that Tatana is the person to visit. My hairdresser also spoke really highly of her and I may have to check her out six months from now when I'm due for a cut. If you pay with cash or check, you get a small discount. Pricey, but full of "mimos."

On my way home, I stopped by my regular brechó where I swooned over a pink/orange print Diane Von Furstenberg dress. Way too expensive for a second-hand shop. Boo. But I did walk out with a 50's styled shrug that is perfect for my birthday dress. Shades of Kate Spade, with a fun print and some shiny sparkles. But the point of this paragraph was not my consumption of other's old goods...but the fact that on the same floor is a used kids clothing store. A baby brechó. I didn't go in, but you moms might want to have a look.

Adoleta
Visconde de Pirajá 550, 3rd floor, right by the elevator.

On that note, I found this website with a list of brechós for kids. It might not be up to date, but it could be worth a look:

A little Sugarloaf

When we had visitors last month, we took a trip up Pão de Açucar, like good tourists. We didn't feed the monkeys, but took plenty of pictures while other people did, walked around the trails, worked on some stock photography. Here's the photographer, doing his thing:



Something I didn't ever pay much notice to before was this mosaic:



Notice the date? I couldn't believe they were letting people walk all over that! Until I saw the sign on another wall...oh, it's a reproduction. Courtesy of Citibank. Phew.